Can Victor Osimhen lead Nigeria to glory after recent World Cup heartbreak?
by Geoffrey Ejiga | by Geoffrey Ejiga
The Galatasaray Juggernaut vs. The Super Eagles Stall
Osimhen’s high-profile move to Turkish Giants Galatasaray was met with immediate success, as the Nigerian striker went on to win the Golden Boot with 26 goals. His Europa League campaign that season also saw him score 6 goals in 7 games played.
The Nigerian has started the 2025/26 season a bit slower, but he has still scored 11 goals in 15 games for the Turkish team. The problem for fans has been his performances for the Super Eagles this year, which is surprising given his high output.
Despite scoring 8 goals in 7 games with a 66-minute-per-goal scoring frequency, Nigerians have heavily criticized their second-highest goal scorer of all time. And that begs the question of whether Osimhen has become the scapegoat of a much larger issue with the National team.
The pressure has only increased for the young striker as Nigeria hunts for their first trophy since 2013 in the upcoming AFCON. See our expert’s AFCON 2025 predictions and betting tips for insights into the tournament.
Missing Pieces: Do the Super Eagles Compliment their Star?
At 26 years old, Osimhen is just seven goals away from breaking the all-time goal-scoring record for his country. The Galatasaray striker already has 31 goals in 45 caps, and is leading the nation in average per game.
However, his heroics have not translated into successes for the West African nation. Osimhen is yet to win a silverware trophy with the senior team. But what's worse is that Nigeria has now failed to qualify for successive World Cups, and last won a trophy in 2013, marking one of the nation’s worst spells in decades.
Former legends, pundits, and regular fans have weighed in, citing many problems from the lack of a strong coach who can utilize the star-studded squad efficiently to the deep institutional problems with the NFF.
Many now call the criticisms towards Osimhen unjust, saying a squad with the likes of Lookman, Chukwueze, Iwobi, Ndidi, Bassey, and many more European-bound stars shouldn't be abysmal even with an out-of-form striker.
Eric Chelle’s New Nigeria: Glory or Another Heartbreak
The onus is now on the relatively new Nigerian coach to turn things around quickly for the African giants. The Malian, Eric Chelle, took charge of the Nigerian national team earlier this year and coached Nigeria to a 2-0 win in his first game against Rwanda.
Chelle hasn't exactly excelled, but has been undoubtedly impressive, as he has only lost three of the 14 games he's coached for Nigeria. That run also saw him record 8 wins, effectively winning 57% of their games so far.
Yet, the upcoming tasks of winning at AFCON will be his true test with Nigeria. The Super Eagles are favorites to finish first in Group C of the AFCON, over Uganda, Tunisia, and Tanzania. Chelle has a hungry squad with arguably the best striker in Africa today at his disposal and a clear path to the knockouts as the favorite in his group.
How he performs is a question we can begin to answer from the 23rd of this month, when Nigeria will take on Tanzania in their first group gameof the 2025 AFCON.
